North American NAVION accident near El Cajon, California, December 17, 2017
On December 17, 2017 at about 5:56 pm local time, a 1947 North American NAVION, registered N8884H, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near El Cajon, California (Gillespie Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 17, 2017 · about 5:56 pm local time
- Place
- El Cajon, California · Gillespie Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- North American NAVION UNDESIGNAT, built 1947 · all NAVIONs on the register
- Registration
- N8884H · no longer on the register · serial NAV-4-884
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was conducting a cross-country flight. He reported that the takeoff was normal and that, shortly after takeoff, the engine experienced a sudden loss of all power. The pilot banked the airplane to return to the airport but determined that the airplane would be unable to reach the airport. Subsequently, the pilot initiated an off-airport landing to a parking lot, where the airplane landed hard and slid into an embankment near a fence. A postimpact fire ensued. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine found that the fuel manifold valve had thermal discoloration of its housing. The valve was disassembled, and the plunger internal parts (the collar, valve, and spring) were found separated in the plunger cavity. The plunger internal parts likely did not separate during flight; such a condition would have resulted in a rich-running engine, which would not have caused a significant loss of engine power and would have been revealed as a sooty residue on the spark plug electrode areas. The examination of the spark plugs revealed light amounts of deposits, consistent with normal fuel-air mixture and operation. Thus, the separation of the plunger internal parts was consistent with thermal exposure during the postimpact fire. The melted plastic material found in the fuel selector valve cavity during the disassembly was likely the material that made up the internal control shaft. The throttle control rod end remained secured to the throttle control arm, but the rod end could slide about ½ inch along the bolt that attached the rod end to the control arm. It is unlikely that this movement caused the loss of power during flight given that the pilot did not report an engine control problem. The examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded continued flight and caused the loss of engine power.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 461.2 hours in all; 32.4 in this make and model; 15.6 in the last 90 days; 6.5 in the last 30 days; 413 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 12, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rear
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: SEE El Cajon CA at 6:00 pm
- Destination: SNA Santa Ana CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27R, 5,342 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 5:47 pm from KSEE, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR18LA049.